​Michael Petry: In the Realm of the Gods

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​A solo exhibition at The Holburne Museum
Bath
October 20, 2017 – February 25, 2018

The Holburne Museum has invited Petry to make a new feature installation
and to place two other pieces in relation to existing works in their collection.
The main installation called A Line Lives in the Past and the Future consists of
a very large glass ley line (approximately 8 meters) that will run down the
centre of the central gallery. The work, which looks as if it is Neolithic, is made
up of 17 large sand cast pieces of glass – each unique, and made by Petry
using his hands to dig out the form in the sand. Ley Lines have an historic and
metaphysical importance in Great Britain, yet the phrase only came into
common usage in 1921 when Alfred Watkins coined it to describe the
relatively straight lines found between Neolithic sites. He proposed that ley
lines were geographic formations with mystic (Druidic) connections. The city
of Bath has many ley lines including the most famous – between the Royal
Crescent and the Circus, which many believe to represent the Sun and the
Moon.

The glass hotwork has been made in conjunction with the staff and students
at the Plymouth College of Art as part of their professional development. The
glass cold work has been done by Fiaz Elson.
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Petry’s integrated works include his Libation to Virgo (Aphrodite), a new work
made of silvered porcelain stars hung on the gallery walls placed above the
Crouching Venus sculpture in their collection. The final piece is one of his
performance sculptural works from his MAP Unit series. These works are
exactly the artist’s height, and made from real pearls strung on silk cord by
jewellers to the Crown. The work can be worn as a performance (called
Wearing Michael Petry’s Pearl Necklace) or as a measuring unit placed
directly on the walls as at The Holbourne.

Michael Petry will be conducting a talk at The Holburne on the 20th of February 

​Download the catalogue

holburne.org

Artlyst